A Ranger's Duty
by Silver Serene Moonlight
Summary: Years ago,Yellow was a ranger. When she receives an emergency plea for help, she chooses to return to defend the region she grew up in. Meanwhile, trouble brews in Hoenn as the Battle Frontier is attacked and the Dexholders are called to duty. Will Yellow make it in time to assist them as she struggles to protect Almia or will they lose all trust in Yellow? Retake on Emerald Arc
1. Return to Almia

I do not own Pokémon.

I will be taking liberties with the Ranger game, changing things in the manga and game, and adding OCs.

"Speech"

Present Time

"_Speech in a Flashback"_

_Flashback_

**Chapter 1**

**Return to Almia**

Yellow laughed as she ran alongside ChuChu through the Viridian Forest. She sank down unto the ground and leaned against a tree as she giggled. ChuChu ran up to her and nuzzled her trainer. "Go to sleep ChuChu!" Yellow giggled. The Pikachu yawned in response and curled up on her trainer's lap. Yellow hummed an old tune as she absentmindedly stroked ChuChu's fur and tucked her hair behind her ears before fiddling with the topaz stud on her left earlobe. The earring, normally covered by hair, buzzed static for a moment before voices came out of the earring, now revealed to be a transmitter radio. Yellow closed her eyes and leaned back against the tree as she listened to the Ranger News like she did everyday. She sighed contently as she listened to a program about the opening of the Capture Arenas before it was interrupted.

"We interrupt this program to send out an emergency call. Almia is facing numerous disasters and criminal rates are skyrocketing. We are asking for all Rangers, even retired Rangers, to help if possible. Thank you for your cooperation." Yellow recognized the voice. It was Kellyn, one of her command trio and closest friends. Yellow smiled as she remembered the friends she had left in Almia. She could see Keith saying something inappropriate before Rhythmi twisted his ear and bought the cocky ranger to his knees as he begged for mercy. She saw Kate grinning widely and chatting away while holding Kellyn's arm as he nodded, paying rapt attention to her words with a slight smile on his face, before the words Kellyn had spoken sank in. She bolted upright and took no notice of ChuChu whining indignantly at being thrown to the floor unceremoniously. The Pokémon opened her eyes when her trainer didn't pick her up or apologize. She saw the blonde, pale, and immediately sat up and tugged on Yellow's tunic. That seemed to break the trance. Yellow hurriedly scooped up ChuChu and ran home faster than ChuChu had ever seen her run before. The Pikachu tugged on her trainer's tunic but Yellow merely looked down once before running even faster than before. ChuChu decided to resign herself to her fate and had just gotten comfortable when Yellow stopped to unlock the door to her house and after opening it, carefully placed ChuChu and the Pokeballs containing the rest of her Pokémon on a side table before rushing upstairs.

ChuChu and Ratty peeked around the corner to see Yellow rummaging through her drawers, throwing clothes out behind her. They exchanged a worried look before they watched their trainer in fear. They flinched as Yellow threw her Pokegear out behind her and didn't even look back as it broke from the rough treatment. Suddenly, Yellow stopped and looked back at the two Pokémon watching her in fear. Her expression softened. She picked them up gently and returned them to their Pokeballs and got all her Pokeballs from the side table. She cradled them in her hands before leaving them on the dining table. She looked out the window where the sun was starting to set before she picked all of them up and took them to her room where she took a carefully wrapped bundle into her closet to change.

The Pokémon watched in surprise as Yellow emerged wearing the oddest outfit they had ever seen her wear. It was a dress that barely reached mid-thigh and was puffed out. It was white in color and had a v-neck cut. A yellow-orange sash tightened the dress and the long sleeves were puffy and ended at the wrist. Underneath the dress, Yellow wore skin-colored tights and yellow orange gloves were pulled over her hands. Yellow twirled once to see the dress twirl around her before opening a locked drawer and clipping a capture stylus to her sash. She pulled her hair out of its usual ponytail and brushed it so the messy bangs were neatly placed to one side and placed a hair clip in the shape of a maple leaf in her waist-length wavy locks and looked in the mirror once before smiling and turning to her Pokémon. "Don't think I'm abandoning you because I'm not. Something urgent has come up and I need to go but I can't bring you with me." She paused and ignored their protests and scooped them up before running to the door. There, instead of her usual purple boots, she pulled out a pair of knee-high yellow-orange boots and slipped them on before running out into the night.

The Pokémon stayed quiet as Yellow ran from Viridian City to Pallet Town in five minutes instead of the usual fifteen without even breaking sweat. She stopped in front of Professor Oak's Lab and placed all the Pokeballs inside his mailbox. She took one last look at them before she closed the mailbox and took off to Vermilion City.

"I would like one ticket to Slateport City, please." Yellow said to the fat man sitting behind the ticket counter.  
"The next one leaves in ten minutes." He said handing her the green ticket.  
"Thank you."

"Chris, could you get the morning mail?" Professor Oak asked as he fiddled with a new version of the Pokedex.  
"I'm on it, Professor!" Crystal answered as she stepped outside. There was silence for a few minutes. "Professor?"  
"What is it, Chris?" Professor Oak asked.  
"Are there supposed to be Pokeballs in your mailbox?"  
"Kurt did say he wanted you to test some new prototypes. Bring them in."  
"I don't think these are the prototypes, Professor."  
"What makes you say that?"  
"There are Pokémon in these Pokeballs."

Yellow wandered the deck, garnering odd looks from the other passengers because of her bright clothes before they shrugged and paid it no mind. She closed her eyes and breathed in the crisp, cold air. "Attention, passengers. We will be docking in ten minutes. Please take all your possessions with you. Thank you."

Professor Oak decided it would be best to release the Pokémon outside. He blinked in surprise as he recognized the Pokémon. Apparently, he wasn't the only one. "Aren't these Senior Yellow's Pokémon?" Crystal asked. ChuChu started to tug at Crystal's lab coat and whine. "I'm go see if something's wrong with Senior Yellow." Crystal called as Dody dumped her into the saddle Yellow often sat on before taking off with the rest of Yellow's Pokémon chattering and waving their arms frantically at the startled Professor.

Yellow walked around the busy market when she bumped into someone. "I'm really sorry." She apologized immediately. The boy wore a black shirt with red inscriptions in a Pokeball design near his collar and red stripes down the side of his sleeves. He wore black pants and a pair of red and black sneakers. A white hat with a black edge at the bottom with a Pokeball design covered his hair and he wore red gloves with black edges. The boy looked at her clothes.  
"It's alright. Your clothes have really good color coordination by the way."  
"Um…Thank you?" Yellow said unsure.  
"You aren't from around here, are you?"  
"No." Yellow admitted.  
"Where are you headed?"  
"Fortree."  
"Why don't you come to Littleroot with me then? I have a friend that would love to travel to Fortree."  
"Well…" Yellow stopped to consider the options. She had to be quick, but it would be nice to make new friends. "Alright. I'm Autumn. It's nice to meet you"  
"Oh, sorry. I'm Ruby, if you ever see a contest, remember to vote for me!" Ruby said cheerfully.  
"…Okay?"

Crystal knocked for the fifth time. Again, there was no answer. She tried the doorknob and was surprised when it actually opened. "Hello?" Silence greeted her words. "Senior Yellow? Are you here?" There was no answer. The house was silent.

"What took ya so long, Prissy Boy?" A girl asked swinging down from a vine. She wore blue clothes that were similar to Ruby's only blue instead of red and white instead of black. A matching bandanna was tied around her head and she wore black shorts. She had blue and black sneakers on and a pair of white gloves with black fingers covered her hands.  
"I brought a friend along. Autumn, this is Sapphire. Sapphire, this is Autumn." Ruby said ignoring the insult and choosing to go inside to put his purchases away.  
"Nice to meet you." Yellow said politely.  
"Ya too!" Sapphire chirped. "Was Prissy Boy annoying ya?" She asked in concern.  
"Well…Do you know what a contest is?" Yellow asked in confusion after making sure Ruby was gone.  
"It's a sissy thing."  
"Oh. Well, moving on, isn't it fun to swing down from trees?" Yellow asked excitedly.  
"Yep! It's almost like I'm flying." When Ruby returned, he found, to his surprise, the two girls were happily chatting about Pokémon and physical activities that would get them dirty.  
"And here I was hoping Autumn would help Sapph be less wild." He muttered sighing.

Crystal pushed open the door to Yellow's room getting increasingly nervous by the second. She was shocked at what she saw. The room had random clothes and objects thrown everywhere. She knew for a fact that her senior didn't keep her room like that. Taking out her Pokegear, she called the other Dexholders for help.

Ruby sighed as he flew through the forest in his running shoes. Sapphire was right next to him as always, and Yellow was keeping up with the two without even breaking sweat. They finally reached Oldale Town. "You're really fast." Sapphire complimented.  
"Thank you." Yellow smiled trying to straighten out her clothes.  
"Your clothes are spoiled!" Ruby wailed at Yellow and Sapphire's state of being.  
"So?" Yellow and Sapphire asked simultaneously.  
"I thought you cared about your clothes because you're so well dressed!" Ruby said pointing an accusing finger at Yellow.  
"It's my uniform."  
"I've never seen that uniform before. Where's it from?" Sapphire asked.  
"I'm a Pokémon Ranger from Almia. This isn't the standard uniform, but I get exceptions to certain rules, clothing being one of them."  
"Pokémon Ranger?" Ruby and Sapphire asked simultaneously.  
"We protect people and Pokémon using this." Yellow said showing them her Capture Stylus. "It helps us contact emotionally with Pokémon."

"Hello?" Red asked picking up the call in the middle of his training.  
"Senior Red?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Could you make it to Senior Yellow's house right now, unless she's with you?"  
"She isn't, but why?"  
"It's urgent."  
"I'll be there as soon as I can."

"That's amazing!" Sapphire said with stars in her eyes and hands clasped together. The three were currently on their way to Mauville by riding on Pilo.  
"Don't you get dirty?" Ruby asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust.  
"Only occasionally. Most of the time, we just help people find runaway Pokémon and walk around making sure there's no trouble."

"Green speaking."  
"Senior Green, would Senior Yellow be with you?"  
"No."  
"Could you come to her house?"  
"Why?"  
"It's urgent. There's something wrong."  
"…I'll be there."

Professor Oak, after a failed attempt to understand what Yellow's Pokémon were saying, returned them to their Pokeballs when Dody returned motioning for him to get on. He sighed before complying.

"Hello!" Blue answered cheerfully.  
"Senior Blue, do you know where Senior Yellow is?"  
"Not a clue!"  
"Could you come to her house?"  
"What's wrong?"  
"…I'm not really sure."  
"See you soon!"

"Hey Wattson!" Sapphire yelled from atop Pilo  
"Sapphire! Ruby, too! What brings you to Mauville?"  
"We're passing to Fortree."  
"Tell Winona I said "Hi!"  
"Sure! Bye Wattson!" Sapphire and Ruby both waved as Pilo passed over Mauville.

"Yes?"  
"Silver, do you know where Senior Yellow is?"  
"No."  
"Could you come to her house? It's urgent."  
"…Fine."

"Dody, slow down!" The Professor cried hanging on as tightly as he could. The Pokémon ignored him and picked up even more speed as they passed bewildered trainers on Route 1, nearly running over one in the process. "Sorry!" The Professor yelled as they sped past.

"I knew you would fall for my charms eventually Super Serious Gal! So when do you-?"  
"Not now, Gold! We're all meeting Senior Yellow's house. It's an emergency so I expect you to be here."  
"Fine, fine. Now about that date-?"  
"Beep. Beep. Beep."  
"Dammit."

Dody skidded to a stop in front of Yellow's house where the door was open. After catching his breath, the Professor returned Dody to its Pokeball, certain the ride had knocked off ten years of his life, before going inside. He stuck his head in cautiously before entering.

"Coach!" Sapphire called, waving her arms widely. Winona looked up from staring at the ground and smiled as she saw her student.  
"Sapphire! And Ruby! Nice to see you again. Who's your friend?" Winona asked as she commanded Altaria to fly closer to Pilo.  
"Coach, this is Autumn! Autumn, this is my coach Winona, Gym Leader of Fortree!" Sapphire said happily.  
"Nice to meet you." Yellow said bowing her head slightly.  
"You too. Should we talk on the ground?" Winona asked. The others nodded and Ruby clutched his hat as Pilo followed Altaria into a dive.

"Chris?" Professor Oak called.  
"I'm up here Professor." Crystal answered from Yellow's room. Professor Oak entered Yellow's room and gaped at the mess that greeted his eyes.

"Winona!" Wallace called as they all landed.  
"Hello Master." Ruby greeted.  
"Hello Ruby and Sapphire? Who's your friend?" Wallace asked surveying the blonde.  
"This is Autumn, Master. Autumn, this is my master, Wallace, Champion of Hoenn." Ruby introduced waving his hands around dramatically.  
"Nice to meet you." Yellow said bowing politely.  
"You as well. Winona, did you receive the invitation to the wedding?" Wallace asked.  
"Yes. Why don't you three go find Cameron the photographer?" Winona suggested as she noticed Sapphire fidgeting. "He's in town and he'll take pictures for free."

"Do ya know where Cameron is?" Sapphire asked.  
"I'm right here." The man said as he removed his eyes from his camera. Cameron was a bald man with brown sideburns and a big forehead. He wore a white shirt and tan pants. His eyes seemed to be closed.  
"Could we get a picture taken?" Yellow asked as Ruby straightened his shirt and hat.  
"Sure, if you would just pose for a few moments..."

"What happened here?" Professor Oak asked as he looked around the room that looked like it had been hit by a mini tornado.  
"I-I don't know."

Red released Aero. "To Viridian City!" He shouted; secretly glad to leave Mt. Silver and the cold behind him for Viridian although his worry for Yellow darkened the otherwise happy occasion.

Green finished his coffee and got up to walk to Yellow's house from his Gym, leisurely like always. His face failed to betray the worry he felt inside.

Blue flew on Jiggly as she lazily left Pallet Town for Viridian City. She did not notice the greetings the other citizens of Pallet Town sent her way as her mind was too occupied with worry for Yellow.

Silver commanded Murkrow to set out to Viridian from the Ilex Forest. He sighed as he thought of how Blue must be taking the call. He knew she considered Yellow a younger sister.

Gold waved goodbye to his mother before taking out Mantaro and taking off to Viridian with the help of twenty of Crystal's Remoraids. Only when no one was around did his smirk disappear as he worried about his Senior.

"There you go! Three pictures!" Cameron said handing one to each of the kids that had asked for photos.  
"Thank you." They chorused.  
"You're welcome."

"C'mon! Let's go check up on Coach and Wallace!" Sapphire yelled.  
"Actually, could you help me see when I can catch a flight to Sinnoh?"  
"Sure! Let's go Prissy Boy!"  
"Sapphire, the airport is that way." Ruby said pointing in the opposite direction.  
"I knew that."  
"Sure."

"Chris?" Green asked looking around the kitchen. Blue came through the door.  
"Hello Greenie!"  
"Don't call me that."  
"Whatever. Where's Chris?"  
Green shrugged.  
"Let's check upstairs." Blue suggested. Green nodded and the two walked to Yellow's room. They paused in front of the white wooden door before pushing it open to see chaos.

"You're leaving already?" Sapphire asked in disappointment.  
"Sorry, but I got a call from Almia. They need me." Yellow said apologetically.  
"We'll come visit you sometime." Ruby offered.  
"That would nice. I could show you around." Yellow smiled.  
"See ya soon!" Sapphire waved as Yellow boarded the plane that would take her to Sinnoh.

"Thanks Aero!" Red said as he landed in front of Yellow's house. He frowned. Yellow didn't leave her door open. He hurried inside after returning Aero with his worry increased sevenfold.

"What happened here?" Blue asked. Chris shrugged and Professor Oak merely assessed the damage done to the room. Green looked around the room and paused at seeing the Pokegear Yellow received last week.

Gold landed in front of the house. "Does Senior Yellow usually leave her door open?" He mumbled before shrugging and entering the usually cheery little cottage.

Yellow took out a small photo album and placed the picture she had had taken with Ruby and Sapphire on an empty page. She flipped to previous pages and smiled as she reminisced when each picture was taken with her friends before she closed it and placed the small album back into her pocket before nodding off to sleep, exhausted by the day's events.

Silver warily took in the state of the house before he entered to find Gold rummaging through the refrigerator. He stared at his best friend in silence for a few moments before dragging Gold up the stairs to where he heard voices while ignoring the other boy's protests.

"What the hell?" Gold asked as he looked around Yellow's room. Silver looked around the room. He took a step forward and bent to pick something up.  
"Something's wrong." He said.  
"Duh."  
"Shut up Gold! What makes you say that Silver?" Crystal said coming over to smack Gold. Silver wordlessly handed her the framed photograph he had picked up. The frame was shattered but the picture was miraculously unharmed for the most part.  
"No way." Blue breathed. The other three came over to take a look. It was the picture they had all taken together after the Mask of Ice Incident. It was in the sky blue frame with a white picket fence and a sunflower painted on the bottom that Yellow had made herself. It didn't seem like coincidence that Yellow had been cut out of the picture by the broken glass.

Hours after boarding the plane, the long awaited announcement came on. "Attention all passengers. We have arrived in Hearthome City. Please take all your belongings with you as you exit. Thank you for riding on Pokémon Airlines. We hope to see you again soon." Yellow was one of the first off the plane.

"What are we going to do?" Blue moaned; burying her face in her hands.  
"Where do you think we could find her?" Red asked.  
"The question would be can we find her?" Green corrected looking at the unmarked calendar.

"See ya Coach!" Sapphire waved as she boarded Pilo with Ruby.  
"Bye Master!"  
The two adults waved to their students as they headed back to Littleroot Town.

Yellow let out a sigh of relief as she arrived in Jubilife City two hours later. People gave her weird looks as she passed by but she ignored them when she bumped into someone yet again. "I'm sorry." She apologized.  
"It's alright, I was at fault too." The blonde boy said sheepishly. He wore a white and orange short sleeved shirt, a green scarf, and black jeans. brown shoes and a Chatot flew next to him.  
"Don't run like that Pearl." A dark haired boy complained as he caught up with his friend.  
"Sorry Dia, but you're just slow." Pearl said getting up and dusting himself off. The new boy wore a white short sleeve shirt and a black vest. He had on blue jeans and red shoes with a red beret that had a blue Pokeball inscription on it  
"Too slow!" Chatot squawked.  
"Excuse me, could you direct me to Canalave City?" Yellow asked interrupting the two boys.  
"It's just over there!" Pearl said helpfully pointing left. "Just go straight through and a boat will take you there."  
"Thank you." Yellow said before running off.

Yellow waited in the Pokémon Center until dark. When she was positive no one was outside, she crept out. Using her Capture Stylus, she was able to procure a Mantine into giving her a ride south, to Almia. "Wait for me." She whispered before fiddling with her left earring. "Hello? Rhythmi? This is Autumn. I am currently on my way back to Almia. I should be there by morning." She said. There was silence before a voice crackled out from her right earring.  
"It will be great to have you back, Leader Autumn."

Guide to Almia

Almia is a region south of Sinnoh that applies the use of rangers instead of trainers. These rangers go through years of training to gain the title of a ranger. Curiously, Almia is not a part of the Pokémon Nation like the other regions that are inhabited by Pokémon with the exception of Fiore. The two regions form the Ranger Union.


	2. Nightmares and Escape

I do not own Pokémon.

Thank you for reading.

I will be taking liberties with the Pokémon Ranger game, changing things from the manga, and adding OCs.

The OCs for this chapter are James and Jasmine. They are neither the gym leader (Jasmine) nor the Team Rocket member (James).

"Speech or thoughts"

_Flashback or dream_

"_Speech in flashback or dream"_

**Chapter 2**

**Nightmares **

"Who would kidnap her?" Red asked confusion etched across his features.

"I don't think she was kidnapped, Senior." Chris said slowly.

"How can you be so sure?" Blue asked, thinking back to her own kidnapping.

"She left her Pokémon in my mailbox." Professor Oak said showing them the Pokeballs where Yellow's Pokémon all had a sad forlorn look about them.

Yellow stifled another yawn as the sun started to rise. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled as she spotted the familiar red flag of the Ranger Base. Its golden design of a Gracidea flower entwined with a black bunny shaped microphone contrasted nicely against the red and made up the colors of the ranger uniforms. The base was mostly glass windows with red beams supporting the glass walls and the red roof proudly flying the flag. Her smile faded as she spied smoke from the Sacred Mountains. Ignoring the Ranger Base, she silently commanded Mantine to fly to the top, where the smoke was thickest.

"How are we going to find her?" Blue asked.

"We're not." Green's reply caused everyone to turn to look at him.

"What do you mean we're not going to look for her? Of course we are!" Red exclaimed.

"I'm with Senior Green. It's going to be next to impossible to find her." Silver said.

"But what if something happened to her?" Blue asked upset her own "brother" had sided against her.

"Senior Yellow's not weak. She can take care of herself if she needs to. Besides, she probably left for a reason" Gold said poking various things with his billiard cue.

"I'm afraid Green and Silver are right, there is nothing we can do about Yellow. Gold is also right, she must have her reasons." Professor Oak said.

Crystal's eyes widened. "**Gold** is right?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes. As unbelievable as it seems, Gold is right." Professor Oak said pausing dramatically before continuing.

"Hey!"

"Moving on, there have been reports of Pokémon going insane at the Hoenn Battle Frontier. I have already sent a Dexholder over and Professor Birch has promised to send the other two from Hoenn over, but I want you all there just in case." Professor Oak said ignoring Gold's outburst.

"How many of us are there?" Gold asked in disbelief.

"As of now, ten."

"When do we leave?" Chris asked.

"Tomorrow at dawn." The Dexholders exchanged worried glances.

Yellow dropped down on a tree branch silently and pressed a button on her Stylus to release the Mantine but threw it a berry first in thanks. She watched silently as the rangers from her branch confronted a man wearing armor.

"Water Pokémon shall rule the world! You could be valuable allies in making this dream come true." He said passionately making hand gestures.

"Do not deny it. You're the cause of the Pokémon theft and natural disasters." Kellyn said fiercely glaring at the strange man, one hand on the sword strapped to his waist.

"So what if I was? I shall flood the world and everyone shall know of the power of water!" The man said laughing maniacally.

"We won't join you." Keith said with narrowed eyes as Kate placed a hand on Kellyn's shoulder.

"What a shame." The man said raising his arm and a Starmie materialized from underneath his feet and started to fly off with the man.

"Don't let him get away!" Keith commanded whipping out his Capture Stylus when the man was knocked off the Pokémon by a white and yellow blur

*************************************.

"What do you think our new juniors will be like?" Chris asked.

"When I think about all the juniors we might have, I feel old." Red complained. They all laughed as the mood lightened slightly and started looking for the ship that they were to take to Hoenn.

"Am I late?" Yellow asked as she lifted the man up by the scruff of his neck as her eyes twinkled in amusement at seeing the startled looks on the faces of her rangers though her face remained blank.

"Leader!" Kate exclaimed as the three rangers at the front saluted with the other rangers hurriedly copying their actions.

"Wait, you're sending us to the Battle Frontier to meet up with the third member of our trio?" Ruby asked in disbelief.

"Yes. It was a request from Professor Oak himself." Professor Birch said seriously staring the boy in the eye.

Sapphire stared at him as if he had turned into a Treeko.

"Is something wrong Sapphire?" Professor Birch asked concern evident in his voice.

"…Do you know how weird it is to see you **serious**?" She asked her father.

"That's not the point Sapph." Ruby pointed out even though he privately agreed.

Yellow nodded and the rangers snapped out of their show of respect. "Well, I hope all of you have kept up with your training. Take him to Base and leave him in the interrogation room. I'll be there soon."

"Yes Leader!" Soon the crowd of rangers left with the armored man leaving Yellow alone with her command trio. Rhythmi entered the room silently before bowing slightly.

"What's been happening while I was gone?" Yellow demanded glaring at all four of them. Keith and Kate had the grace to look sheepish while Kellyn answered in monotone.

"After the defeat of Team Dim Sun, we got an unusually high number of reports of theft and natural disasters." He paused before Rhythmi continued for him. "After investigating, we found that citizens often saw a man in armor moments before the incident and tracked him down." She reported. Yellow sighed before a smile cracked her poker face.

"Either way, it's nice to see you all again."

Chris sighed as she stared out into the sea, her hands gripping the safety rail tightly. "Something wrong Super Serious Girl?" Gold asked as he twirled his billiard cue. Chris tightened her grip on the rail as she stamped down the urge to kick the cocky idiot.

"I found something in Senior Yellow's room after you left." Chris said quietly.

"You found out you love me?" Gold joked watching the girl with wary eyes.

"…This is serious." Chris sighed slightly blushing.

"Okay, okay. What did you find?" Gold asked throwing up his hands in surrender.

Chris didn't say a word. She just placed the object into Gold's hands before walking inside the ship to her room.

"Who are you?" Yellow asked as she watched the man squirm, trying to free himself from the ropes. She waited patiently until he gave up and slumped.

"Guile." He grunted at last settling down.

"Well then Guile, what did you do with the stolen Pokémon?" Yellow asked pleasantly choosing to examine her nails in favor of the man's rusty armor and the blank walls.

"…Shipped them to the Battle Frontier."

"Why?" Yellow asked arching an eyebrow looking at the one visible eye.

"My dream to flood the world will come true!" Guile laughed manically again.

Yellow sighed and signaled for her rangers to take him away and lock him up.

"Did you find out anything useful?" Keith asked coming in after Guile left.

"He's mentally unstable?" Yellow asked massaging her temple.

"I kinda figured." Keith smiled sitting next to her and offering her tea before sipping his coffee.

"I'm going to have to go to Hoenn soon." Yellow sighed.

"What about the problems here?" Keith asked lowering his coffee.

"Hopefully they'll die down now that he's been arrested." Yellow said, getting up.

"Here's hoping." Keith said lazily lifting the cup of coffee in his hand in mock cheer. Yellow rolled her eyes before closing the door behind her and heading to her office.

Gold burst into Red's room where most of the Dexholders had gathered. "What's wrong Gold?" Blue asked. The room was only for the journey so it was sparse. A bed stood in a corner with a television across it on a set of drawers. Red's suitcase lay next to the bed and a table with cushions around it was the only other thing in the room.

"Did Chris kick you again?" Silver asked smirking. Gold didn't say a word. He merely sat down heavily and carefully placed the object Chris had given him on the table in the middle of the room. The others gathered to the table to see it.

"Hurry up!" Jasmine said as she roughly pulled the armored man toward the jail cell. He stopped and before she could yell at him, someone hit Jasmine over the head.

"Where did you get that?" Green asked in a very low voice.

"Chris found it in Senior Yellow's room."

"She wouldn't leave it behind." Red said paling slightly.

Yellow sat down at her desk in her office. The room had creamy colored wallpaper and a tiled floor. A mahogany desk and a matching chair behind it. A state-of-the-art laptop sat on the center of the desk and a pen lay next to a pile of paper. A black telephone was on the other side of the laptop. A potted plant stood next to the doorway and a map of the world was pinned on the wall behind the desk next to a map of Almia as well as various other maps displaying cities in Almia and different regions of the world. A filing cabinet stood underneath all the maps with a fingerprint and eye scanner to go with the password. A painting of Celebi's Forest was framed in gold on the left wall. Behind the painting, a secret safe required a password and fingerprint. On the right wall a painting of Manaphy Lake at night during the summer when Illumise and Volbeat played was displayed. She opened her laptop and started looking at the reports that she hadn't seen.

James came to check why Jasmine was taking so long. He looked around the prison and flicked the light switch on. Jasmine lay on the floor with blood pouring from her head steadily. Thinking fast, James started to carry her to the hospital.

Crystal sat in her room. The passenger room on the ship was dark as the sun started to set but for once, Chris didn't notice as she sat with her head in her hands, as she was lost in thought. "Why would she leave without telling us?" ran its course through her head. "Maybe she abandoned you." A small voice whispered in her head. Chris shook the thought from her head. "She wouldn't do that to us." She muttered. "Or would she?" The voice whispered. She ignored it and sprawled across the bed into a deep slumber.

_She ran as fast as she could, dodging the Pokémon that attacked her, with her fellow Dexholders running beside her. She panted as she finally made it to the top of the tower and stopped at the sight that greeted her. Yellow stood grasping an unconscious girl by the neck, dangling her over the edge of the tower, as a boy was on his knees pleading with her. In the corner of her mind, she was aware of another boy lying unconscious but she paid him no mind. Her attention was fixed upon Yellow and the girl in her grasp. She couldn't make out their faces but she watched as Yellow ignored the protests and pleas from the boy and the other Dexholders and tossed the girl over the edge. Yellow watched with her eyes glinting in amusement before laughing maniacally. Time seemed to slow down as the boy hurried to the edge to try to save the girl but she knew in her heart it was too late. She watched tears leak from the boy's eyes and then a body of energy appeared. She somehow knew, if given the chance, it would destroy the world. She heard the cries of a sad Pokémon and the world started to quake. "Chris. Chris. Chris. _**CHRIS!"** Chris woke screaming and drenched in cold sweat. She blinked a few times and saw the concerned faces of the other Dexholders and Gold standing over her with a worried expression on his face. She looked out the window and saw the sun rising. Hours had passed since she had fallen asleep.

"It's Senior Yellow." Chris said shakily. "She betrayed us." Chris said tears dropping from her eyes.

"She wouldn't do that." Red said defending Yellow.

"It was just a dream Chris." Blue soothed. Crystal didn't answer, she merely shivered. Silence overtook the room.

"…The ship's docking in two hours." Green said before walking out of the room. Red followed him hesitantly and Silver left soon afterward. Blue hesitated before leaving her alone with Gold.

James ran to the local hospital. The nurses were rather startled at the seeing the state Jasmine was in but asked no questions as they led her away for treatment. After making sure she would be alright, James ran back to Base.

"What did you dream Chris?" Gold asked gently sitting down next to her. Chris was silent. Gold gently wrapped his arms around her and lifted her so that she was sitting on his lap. "What happened?" He asked placing his chin on her head and wrapping his arms around her waist to prevent escape.

"I'm scared Gold." She whispered as tears continued to run down her face.

He moved his head to her shoulder and wiped the tears from her face. "What was your nightmare about?" He asked.

James ran into Base as fast as he could. The ranger straightened before knocking.

"Enter."

James entered the room and bowed slightly in respect. "Leader, Guile has escaped." He said not meeting her eyes. Yellow did not react very much. Her eyes widened slightly and she was a bit pale but there was no other reaction.

"How did this happen?" She asked in the voice she reserved for business.

"I am not certain but Jasmine is currently in the hospital with head injuries."

"Thank you for informing me. You are dismissed." James nodded slightly at the dismissal and left the room quickly. After the door closed behind him, Yellow groaned and slumped in her chair.

Guide to Almia

There are four Area Leaders in Almia and four in Fiore. The Area Leaders assign missions and are responsible for overseeing the safety of their town/city. In times of peace, they are allowed to leave the region and go on vacation although they must return when called to duty.


	3. The Arrival:A Rush of Memories

I do not own Pokémon.

Thank you for reading.

I will be taking liberties with the Pokémon Ranger game, changing things from the manga, and adding OCs.

**Chapter 3**

**The Arrival: A Rush of Memories**

"Sorry." Chris apologized as she wiped her tears with a tissue.

"It's fine Super Serious Gal. I never thought you would be the one to take a nightmare so seriously." Gold half soothed and half teased. Chris smacked him lightly before kicking him out of her room.

"If he's escaped, he's most likely headed to cause more trouble or for the Hoenn Battle Frontier." Yellow muttered looking at her maps. She remained in thought for another minute before picking up her phone. "Send out the emergency message throughout Almia, beware Guile, the man in armor." Yellow ordered.

"At once." Rhythmi promised.

"Attention all passengers, we have arrived in Slateport City. Thank you for riding the S.S. Anne. We hope to see you again soon." A cool female voice said over the intercom. The Dexholders wove their way through the mass of people trying to get off the ship.

Yellow's mind wandered as she watched Jasmine struggle to breath. She had already put on the blank face she reserved for ranger duty. _"A ranger must never show fear or weakness." _Her mentor's words rang through her head. "I won't." Yellow vowed silently. "I'll make you proud." She thought determinedly as she turned on her heel and left the hospital.

The six Dexholders looked around the dock, a little lost. There was the bustle of any other large city and the Dexholders stood awkwardly holding their bags and trying to find their ship. "Maybe we should-"Chris Gold interrupted her.

"There it is!" Gold yelled pointing at a ship labeled the "S.S. Tide."

"When do we arrive?" Gold asked for the hundredth time. Chris opened her mouth to reprimand him but Silver beat her to it.

"Shut. Up." He growled emanating a dark aura. The other to Johnto natives looked at him with slight fear. Blue smirked as she sipped her milkshake. Green glanced up from his book to spare the three a glance and an annoyed look at the sleeping (and slightly snoring) Red.

Yellow sighed as she ended the call with the other Area Leaders. "Any news?" Rhythmi asked as she handed her a cup of tea.

"None. Thanks." Yellow replied tiredly taking a sip.

"Maybe we should check out Hoenn." Kate suggested.

"I've decided I'll go." Yellow said firmly.

"No surprise there." Keith chuckled. "When are you leaving?" He asked.

"Not until I've combed all of Almia first." Yellow said heading to the door.

"Don't leave yet Leader." Kellyn said getting up.

"Is something wrong?" Yellow asked turning around.

"We developed a new vehicle. It'll help you travel around faster." Kellyn explained motioning for Yellow to follow him. He took her to the garage where he pointed to something in a corner.

"What is it?" Yellow asked examining the machine. It was a small cream colored glider with two handles on the top.

"The scientists are calling them Gulls. They're powered by jets but the jets run on light." Kellyn explained in monotone.

"How do I control it?" Yellow asked.

"It's like the bracelets. They're controlled by your mind." Kellyn instructed. "You just need a ring that's specific to the Gull." He continued as he rummaged through some boxes. "This is yours." He said as he threw a topaz ring to her.

"Thanks Kellyn."

"This is your Gull." Kellyn said nodding to the machine on the ground.

"I should probably pick up my bracelet before leaving." Yellow muttered as she headed to the Pokémon Center where the rangers' partner Pokémon rested until their ranger was called to a mission.

"Why are we attending a wedding?" Red asked. Green shrugged.

"Isn't it romantic?" Blue sighed.

"Wake up." Chris hissed poking Silver and Gold in the side.

"Five more minutes mom." Gold mumbled as Silver blinked awake slowly. Gold jumped in his seat, eyes suddenly wide awake, when everyone clapped politely for the bride and groom. "What happened?" He asked Chris as he yawned. Chris sweat dropped.

Yellow bit her lip as she flew speedily over Almia. She had received the report that Guile was not in any of the towns or cities. She had already gone through Celebi's Forest, Jirachi's Desert, Articuno's Ice Field, Raikou's Peak, and the Sacred Mountain Range with no results. Her heart sank as she thought of what her fellow Dexholders would think of her disappearance. She shook her head to clear the thoughts. "It doesn't matter." She mentally scolded fiercely. "This takes priority."

"We'll be at the Battle Frontier in five minutes." The green haired boy introduced as Wally said, his voice friendly, as he leaned against the rails of the ship. Most of the Dexholders tensed at the news. "But they had reason to be." Wally reflected. "Ruby and Sapphire never looked for trouble. Trouble found them." He thought. "It's probably the same for these Dexholders." Wally concluded noticing the tenseness of all the Dexholders.

The Dexholders glanced around, amazed at the sight of the Battle Frontier. "Hey! Let's challenge the facilities." Red said excitedly.

"It's not open yet." Green pointed out. Red deflated.

"Oh yeah." Chris sweat dropped at her senior's forgetfulness.

"We should check into a hotel first." Silver said pointing to the multiple hotels in front of them. They nodded.

"Err…Which one should we go to?" Blue asked. They stared at the three hotels in front of them.

"Let's just go!" Gold yelled running into a hotel at random. The others followed with looks of annoyance.

Yellow sighed as she returned to Maple City. She had to admit defeat. Guile was not in Almia. "Any luck?" Keith asked unable to decipher any emotion on the blank face he often saw when Yellow was on a mission.

"None. I need to prepare to leave soon." Yellow said with her voice devoid of any emotion. Keith nodded and Yellow headed to her office. Only when the door closed behind her did she drop the emotionless face and put on a tired one before flopping on to her chair with a groan.

"I cannot believe you just did that." Chris growled as she stared Gold down. Silver was doing the same and their seniors were watching.

"Let him go already." Green sighed.

"Yeah, it's a bit overboard." Red said. Blue looked at him disbelievingly.

"A bit?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Besides, if it hadn't been him to do that, it would have been Red." Green finished. Red didn't even bother denying that statement. He just awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"Let's just go and unpack." Blue said cheerfully dragging Green out of the room.

"Let go of me, Pesky Girl." And giggling was heard from the hallway.

Yellow sighed as she glanced down at her laptop. She had hacked into the computer system and was currently looking at the list of hotel occupants. There were over three hundred people staying at the Battle Frontier and it wasn't even open yet. More people, more casualties. She sighed again before she froze. On the list, two names made her freeze. "Ruby Cale and Sapphire Birch." She whispered. She bit her lip before shaking her head. "You have a mission, Yellow. Concentrate." She ordered and nodded before moving down the list. She stopped again and groaned soon after. "Why are they all there!?" She cried before closing the laptop and putting her head down.

"What do ya think he's like?" Sapphire asked as she lay sprawled across one of the beds in the hotel room looking at the ceiling. The room was fairly small with two twin beds covered by white sheets with a nightstand holding a small lamp in between. A balcony framed with white curtains overlooked the bay and scones lined the light olive green walls. The carpet was a beige color and faded to wooden flooring when it got to the door. A desk stood in a corner of the room with a television resting on a wooden stand. A door in the wall a few feet from the main door led to a bathroom with stone floors and creamy white walls. A small bathtub that also functioned as a shower was against one wall with smoky doors that hid whoever was inside from view and a sink with silver taps was on the opposite wall. A large round mirror hung just above the sink and a small toilet was next to it. A fuzzy pale blue rug was in front of the shower and a small metal stand displayed fluffy white towels with the golden mark of the hotel. The bathroom was lit by more wall scones and another pale blue rug lay directly in front of the sink to catch falling drops of water.

"Who?" Ruby asked as he looked up from a magazine he was reading while sitting on his bed.

"You know, the third member of our trio." Sapphire answered taking her eyes off the ceiling.

"…You're accent's gone." Ruby said puzzling as he studied the girl in front of him.

"That happens sometimes when I don't concentrate. Mostly around you though." Sapphire added as an afterthought.

"You think I'm influencing you?" Ruby asked raising an eyebrow with an amused smile on his face. Sapphire didn't answer. The room was silent for a moment.

"Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you get scared sometimes?" Sapphire asked sitting up with her legs crisscrossed.

"Of course. It's natural." Ruby answered tilting his head. "What's wrong Sapph?" He asked seeing the troubled look on the girl's face.

"You're so brave and…and…I feel so weak." Sapphire said quietly trying to hold back the tears.

"…That's not true. You were a lot braver than I was during the incident with Kyogre and Groudon. You convinced me to keep fighting." Ruby said getting confused as to why she was talking about this.

"_Sapphire and Ruby…The future of Hoenn lies in your hands. It is your duty to fight Kyogre and Groudon and end this crisis!"_

Ruby blinked as the words resounded in his head. "Grand Master?" He whispered.

"Ruby?" Sapphire asked as she furrowed her eyebrows as she watched the boy. Ruby snapped out of his trance.

"Sorry Sapph. What were you saying?" He asked shaking off the words.

"Do you remember? Do you remember Mirage Island?" She asked hopefully.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He answered. She sighed before continuing what she was saying before.

"I was so scared. It was just like the day with the Salamence. I was a burden to you." Sapphire whispered.

"_I won't be a burden to you, even when we battle as a team!"_

Ruby flinched at the words. "Who said you were a burden? He asked before he realized all of what she said. What Salamence?" Ruby asked.

"The one that gave you that scar." Sapphire answered looking at him pleadingly.

"How do you know about-?" He stopped as memories started to flood in.

_The winds whipped quickly on Mirage Island as he and Sapphire stood waiting for Master Juan's signal. "Hey. Before we go, I need to tell you something." Sapphire said. He looked up at what she said expectantly. "Ruby, I like you." She said. He stared at her in shock at her words, sure he had misheard, right before the fireworks went off. Determinedly, they sat on top of Pilo and they were off. The clouds blew past as they flew before his Pokegear rang. _

"_Ruby, it's me. Looks like you had a successful takeoff." Master Juan said, his voice containing a bit of static. "Things should proceed smoothly from here. Just fly cautiously and don't get trapped in the bowels of time. I'll be monitoring your situation from the island. If there's any danger, I'll let you know." _

"_Grand Master, you're staying on the island?!" He asked _

"_Oui. So are Tate and Lisa. We need to help navigate you back to the other side. Hoenn's fate lies in the hands of you two."_

"_Okay." He replied before the call was disconnected. _

"_Sorry." Sapphire apologized. He glanced back at her. "I shouldn't have said that at a time like this but if I don't say it now…You once told me that you'll eventually go back to Johto. If you haven't changed your mind, you'll return to Johto after this battle. Our time together is so short. My heart keeps breaking into pieces at the thought of never seeing you again. This is the first time I've felt like this." Sapphire said with a hint of a blush in her cheeks. "I realized that maybe I'd fallen for you. Initially, I found you detestable, rude, pretentious, conceited, a liar, a fashion freak, full of hot air…" She trailed off before continuing. "But after going through so much with you, I found out that you're actually a nice guy underneath. What's more you proved yourself to be a capable fighter." He was silent. He could tell she was talking more to herself now. "Actually, there was this boy I really liked. It happened when I was still little. We'd only spent a few days together, I don't really remember his name or face, but he was badly injured after protecting me from a Salamence. He froze in shock. He saw now. The little girl he had once met. "Do you remember that I told you there's someone I like back at Fortree? I've never forgotten or stopped thinking about him. He's the one that inspired me to train for battle. We promised to beat the Pokémon League before we turned eleven. Time zipped by in a flash, I was helping Papa with his Pokémon distribution research, when I suddenly realized that I would be turning eleven soon. When I first met you in the cave, it was 80 days before my birthday. I know that accomplishing it within is an uphill task, but I wanted to keep my promise with him. I wished to defeat the Gym Leaders and be eligible for the League before I turned eleven. That's why I made that bet with you in a moment of impulse."_

"_So that's why you said 80 days." He smiled. Sapphire didn't seem to hear him._

"_But I'm really glad we made the bet cos I got to know you better. I liked to fight with you. I like the way you brush a Pokémon's fur. Although you always pretend to be insensitive, there's a soft spot hidden somewhere deep inside. When I realized that, I acknowledged my feelings." There was a small silence. "Life is strange isn't it? I actually like you more than the boy I've been thinking of all these years." She chuckled quietly. "I've said my piece. I may be asking for too much bit can you stay? Don't go after the battle's over. I'd like you to know more about Hoenn's nature. That's why…will you go back to Littleroot with me?" Sapphire asked with a smile. He opened his mouth to respond when his Pokegear rang again. _

"_Ruby, be careful! You're in danger of being trapped in time! Don't force your way through the waves! Go with the flow." Master Juan commanded. Sapphire let out a scream as she started to fall off Pilo. "Ruby!" Master Juan yelled as he grabbed Sapphire's hand. _

"_We're okay Grand Master. I think we're reaching the other side!" Ruby said as Steven and Master Wallace came into view. _

"_Ruby! Sapphire!" Wallace yelled from their place atop Registeel. _

"_We're back in Sootopolis. Sapphire can you force the jewel out now?" _

"_Uh…Okay." She said before it emerged from her palm. _

"_Sorry Master, I need to borrow your air car. It can be summoned by inputting a password on the Pokegear. I've seen you do it before." Ruby said into his Pokegear before inputting the password. _

"_Here." Sapphire said placing the orb next to Ruby. "What are you gonna do with the air car?" She asked. _

"_This." He said before pushing her off into the air car and trapping her. _

"_What're you doing?!" Sapphire asked as she banged on the glass. _

"_I need to thank you too. I'm also glad we made the bet. Thank you, but I can't go with you because I know how you feel now and I like you too. I've always like you ever since we first met." He said removing his hat to display the scars. "That's why I can't take you with me. I can't let you enter the final battle and face the two Pokémon." _

"Ruby?" Sapphire asked in concern as she bounded off her bed and stopped in front of him where she put a hand on his forehead. His eyes were glazed over and he seemed to be in a trance before he snapped out of it. He remembered everything.

Guide to Almia

All rangers, before they reach rank one train underneath a higher ranked mentor. Even they advance and no longer require a mentor, a bond is forged and remains for the rest of the lives of both.


End file.
